Stalking the Darkness
by Therm
Summary: He just needs to know that his brother is there. Daryl & Merle, set sometime in Season three, after Made to Suffer. One shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Stalking the Darkness  
**Summary:** He just needs to know that his brother is there.  
**Notes:** One shot. This isn't supposed to be creepy... I think it might come off that way though.

* * *

It was a strange thing, to be able to recognize someone from their breathing.

But he'd spent enough of his life by his brothers side to recognise it anywhere. As kids, sharing a room, a lull through Daryl's teenage years where Merle was away with one thing or another and then surprisingly in the apocalypse, they'd share a tent. A tent big enough that the two had plenty of space to call their own, but still, he could hear Daryl. Knew it was him.

And since meeting up with Daryl again this was the first time he'd been able to really listen for it. The first time Daryl had allowed himself to rest and relax.

So this place, this prison... this cell where Daryl felt safe, more than when it'd been the two of them out in the wild, he felt content here, with these people. Not with Merle. Merle wasn't enough any more. He needed more.

He hadn't been at peace with the two of them. He hadn't been able to settle, to rest. He'd forced Merle to follow him, to do what he wanted, and that _never _happened. Merle always reigned. Merle always lead. Damn, was like it wasn't even his brother any more.

So in this cell, a cell with two beds, Merle had taken the bottom bunk. Too old to lay claim to the top bunk like he would have don kid, telling Daryl he was the baby and had to sleep on the bottom bunk. Sometimes, when Daryl was old enough, he'd climb up top once Merle had drifted off and he'd wake up in the morning to see Daryl in bed with him.  
He let him when he was little, but when he got a bit older, Merle beat it out of him. Too big to do shit like that.  
His brother wouldn't be a fucking pussy.

In the darkness, Merle could make Daryl's sleeping form across from him. Dumb bastard was sleeping on the floor. Didn't wanna sleep on the top bunk.  
Merle really had beat that outta him.

Merle swung his legs off of the bed and placed them on the floor. It was cold beneath him, even with the socks covering his feet still. He picked up the flash light from the floor and he quietly walked over to Daryl, knelt over his sleeping form. Daryl was sleeping on his side, one arm underneath a blanket he was using as a pillow, the other resting against his side, and Merle gently rolled the sleeping man onto his back. Daryl didn't stir and Merle stared down at him in the darkness, unable to make him out clearly. It could have been anyone really, it was just a vague outline and Merle wondered where the moon was on this night. But he didn't switch the flash light on. He placed it down by his brother.

His hand was resting gently on Daryl's chest, he could feel the rise and fall of it gently beneath his hand and it was soothing.

He ran his hand Daryl's chest slightly until he felt the top of Daryl's shirt and then he felt around for the buttons. He quickly undid the top three, and his hand delved onto Daryl's bare flesh, felt for the marks that made his brother. He barely noticed the hitch of Daryl's breath, the quickening of his breathing, didn't notice that Daryl had woke because all he concentrated on was knowing that this man laying here beside him really was his brother. Because damn, it looked like him in the light but he didn't really act like Daryl any more, and here in the dark, maybe he could find out the truth. And he felt it.

One of the familiar lines of raised skin, scarred and ragged and never to heal and disappear. But that was Daryl. He knew those scars as well as Daryl did.

And something made Merle reach for the flash light then and flick it on, and he pointed it just to the right of Daryl's body, so that the light didn't shine in his eyes.

And Daryl raised his hand against the light anyway. And when their eyes met Merle saw the fear and confusion in Daryl's face. He wasn't sure what Merle was doing and his closeness, his touch still frightened him. Still unnerved him even as this new man that paraded around in front of him. And Merle could see the tears in his brothers eyes, unshed, but they were there.  
He was still afraid of him.

Merle lowered the flash light but didn't turn it off, placing it on the floor, casting strange shadows across the room. Merle reached back across to Daryl shirt and pulled it closed, hiding the scars away again.

He remembered the first time their Daddy had beaten Daryl badly. The cuts he tended too for Daryl, how he helped him hide them afterwards. His own shame at letting it happen. Those weren't just Daryl's scars, they were Merle's too. So it was in his interest to keep them hidden too.

They were blood. When one of them bleed, the other did too.

"Ain't gonna spill any more blood, lil' bro. We done our share," Merle said, his hand on Daryl's chest again. Feeling him breath, feeling his heartbeat. And then he moved his hand and the warmth he felt from Daryl was gone. He flicked off the light, plunging them back into darkness.

He lay down on the bottom bunk again and closed his eyes.  
And he waited to hear Daryl's breathing change again, knowing his brother was back asleep.  
But it never came.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes: **First of big thanks to all the lovely reviews I got. You guys are awesome.

* * *

Daryl was the quiet one.

That's what people always said. He wasn't really, not if you were with the guy. But compared to Merle, he was the quieter of the two.

But damn, if he hadn't climbed right into his shell since they got back to this prison. Odd that Daryl had forced Merle's hand coming back here but upon returning, he did all he could to not speak. To anyone.

Someone came and unlocked their cell door early on, and Merle thought Daryl might make a beeline for his friends, but he didn't make a move, staying where he was on the floor., facing away from Merle.

And Merle couldn't think of one good reason to push himself up off the bed, not to see the bunch on losers currently running this show, so he stayed where he was too. Hand behind his head, and he listened to the sounds echoing around the prison.

He could hear voices floating around now and again, the creaking of the doors and the clang as they shut and the lock afterwards. He listened uninterested to it all.

They both heard the sound of footsteps approaching, more than one set and Daryl rolled over then sat up. Merle peered round, eyes quickly flicking to Daryl before he eyed the door.

It was one of the few who had been at the camp in Atlanta that stood there, the old woman with the little girl and prick of a husband and she had a bag in her hands that she placed down on the floor.

"I put your things together when you left. Thought you might want them," she said.

Merle eyed the woman carefully, her tone serious but gentle and she looked to Daryl the whole time she spoke. But he didn't gaze once at her, his eyes drifted across to the bag and he pulled it closer, peaking inside. "Should'av thrown it," he said.

"Well we might have met someone who could use it." Carol said simply, shrugging slightly. "Anyway, breakfast is going to be ready in a minute, you should come and get something. Both of you."

And with that, she left them alone.

Merle looked over to Daryl, who now he wasn't being watched by the woman, had sought out some clean clothes to wear. Daryl was pulling out a few of the item's in a bag, sniffing at the items inside.

"Gonna eat?" Merle asked.

Daryl shook his head. "Ain't hungry."

"Was all you were bothered about when we were out there. Finding food and shelter and somewhere to take a piss. Now you got it and you don't want it any more?"

"Didn't say that." Was all Daryl responded with.

"You stay here and sulk then. I'll get me some food."

"You do that then," Daryl muttered, pulling off his old dirty shirt and casting it aside before pulling on a clean one.

But Merle wasn't going anywhere. He was frozen to the spot, unable to move. "What was that?" Merle asked.

"What?" Daryl asked, turning towards his brother. And Merle was the realisation dawning on Daryl right then. Daryl was never a good liar, so he just turned away. "Dunno what you're talking 'bout, Merle. Jus' get your damn breakfast."

And Merle did.

He walked away. He needed time to think. He walked down away from Daryl. Down the stairs and towards the rest of the group.

There was a noticeable hitch in conversation as he approached. He wasn't interested in that though. He just wanted time to think right now.

His appetite had disappeared on him, but as the old woman came and offered a bowl of some kind of oatmeal at him, he felt obliged to take it.

"Daryl not coming down?" she asked and Merle felt more pairs of eyes turn to him at the question.

He shook his head no. "Ain't hungry," was all he gave them. He could give them little else, seeing as that's all Daryl would say.

"Should I save him some?" The young blonde girl asked, looking to several of the others for someone to guide her.

"I'll take him something," Maggie eventually ventured. Merle wondered why she gave a shit about if Daryl ate or not but he had no desire to say anything to the group. She stood up from her seat at the table, and took a bowl of food from the young blonde. "You can take my seat," Maggie said to Merle as she headed out the room and up the stairs Merle had left moments ago.

And Merle looked at the seat she'd vacated between Glenn and the old man and the realisation that he wouldn't be eating anything unless he sat down beside them.

"Ain't got time for this shit," he muttered, turning to go back to the cell he'd come from.

"Wait!" Rick demanded following him. Merle stopped in his tracks, wondering what the man had to say.

"Forget breakfast. We haven't sorted anything out about how this is going to work."

"It ain't gonna work," Merle said. "Daryl knew that straight away, s'why he took off with me."

"That was a mistake. That was _my _mistake. We gotta find away to make it work."

"You find away." Merle said, heading back up the stairs.

Rick didn't follow. Merle started slowly and quietly walking down towards his cell.

He could hear the girl, Maggie talking to Daryl. He ducked into the cell next to theirs, listening in.

"...he might not say it, but he needs you."

"My brother needs me. Anyway, you were the one's who said Merle couldn't stay. What did you expect me to do? You all knew I wouldn't leave him."

"It was just... timing. None of us were thinking straight. We'd all been through hell those last few hours and we were running scared. We didn't think it through. Rick needs you. You didn't see..."

"He's got all of you. Merle ain't got anyone else."

"Daryl, he needs you too. I'm not telling you to kick out Merle, we all know how that's gonna go now, but we gotta sort something out. To keep you both here. If you can work something out with Merle and I can work on it with Glenn and we can make it work."

Merle listened and didn't hear Daryl say anything else.

"Just think about it, okay? I know you care because you've already come back here. I know you don't wanna leave. So don't, okay?"

Merle stepped into the corner of the cell as Maggie passed, heading back down with the others. He waited until she was long gone before stepping back out of the room and into the next cell with Daryl.

The bowl of breakfast was untouched besides Daryl on floor and Merle could still see the space imprint of where Maggie has sat on the bed.

He purposely sat in the same spot, felt the warmth her body had given off as she'd spoke to Daryl.

"Thought you weren't hungry?" Merle said, eyeing up the bowl of food, even as it was untouched.

"Thought you were," Daryl challenged back.

"Well, those people really put you off your food," Merle remarked. "What did the girl want?"

Daryl shrugged and for a moment, Merle thought he'd deny they spoke about anything. "Trying get us to stay," he finally said.

"Hope you told her to go to hell," Merle remarked. Daryl glared at him but said nothing. "So..." Merle started. He got up and moved over to the cell door, closing it. Merle stood with his back to the door, the closest they could get to privacy. "You gonna tell me or what?"

And Merle was all but stood towering over Daryl at that moment. Imposing, just like he was when Daryl was still a kid growing up.

"What?"

Merle grabbed hold of Daryl and pulled him up level with him and pushed him up against the bars of the cell, nowhere to go. "Tell me," he demanded, voice firm and demanding.

"Let go," Daryl demanded, knocking Merle's grip off of him. He didn't try and move away though, didn't try to escape.

And that was Merle's answer.

"The Governor?"

Daryl just nodded.

* * *

Like? I hope you enjoyed that. I have a couple of other little ideas banging around for this which I'll add at some point. It's not really a journey this one, as much as a few events happening.


	3. Chapter 3

Daryl was out somewhere.

Merle had watched the prick Rick come and ask for some help with some made up bullshit. Merle had seen through his lies, Daryl had nodded and followed the other man like a god damn puppy.  
Always waiting for that damn pat on the head.

But Merle didn't care. He stayed in the cell alone while Daryl fucked about with his new pals.  
He knew he'd be back, sooner of later.

So the time alone wasn't a bad thing, really. He didn't mind laying there, eyes shut, minding his own damn business but someone else decided to spoil that.  
The Chinese kid. No, Korean.  
Daryl corrected him on that. Mister PC.

And he stood at the cell door, eyes hard and mouth tight like his presence itself might be enough to frighten Merle off. When Merle looked dead in his eyes, the kid looked scared, like he might just bolt. The kid forgot that Merle beat him one handed. And despite what Glenn might feel like doing, he weren't no killer. Hell, he'd probably feel bad if he threw more than one punch Merle's way.

"Let's not beat around the bush. You don't wanna be here any more than we want you here. So... you need to get going. Move on."

"I ain't going anywhere without my brother. And seeing as he came back and saved your sorry asses I guess he ain't ready to leave yet. So really, you're talking to the wrong brother, China."

Glenn's face flushed slightly, but he refused to back down. "No, you can convince Daryl to go with you," he demanded.

"Seeing as how us being here puts you in such a state little man, makes me all the more determined to stay," Merle smirked.

"Wanna play it that way? Fine. I know that with everyone else's help we can convince Daryl to cut you loose. It won't be easy, but I know him. He'll do it for Rick, for Carol... for the baby."

"You don't know shit boy. Think a few months with you people changes all we been through together? Hell no it don't! He's a sentimental pussy, and while ya'll here he likes ya. But he won't forget every damn year I looked out for him."

Glenn shook his head at that. "You're wrong. He doesn't care about you. He doesn't even like you." Glenn smirked, stepping into the room a little further, courage gathered. "He looked for you once in Atlanta. Once when he went back for you with Rick, T Dog and me and then we went back to the camp and we thought you'd be there and you weren't. But he didn't hesitate to leave with us. And he never even mentioned going back out to look for you."  
Glenn noticed the dark glare Merle was fixing him with but he didn't care. He hoped this fucking hurt Merle. "And you know what? When we lost Sophia, and I mean when he lost her in the woods, Daryl was searching all the time for her. Days! You think he cares about you? Then ask yourself why he didn't ever try and find you."

Glenn walked away leaving Merle to digest the words he's said.  
Daryl had always said they went back for him, but it was true that he never really mentioned it again. He wondered whether that really was it. Did Daryl just look for him once and move on? And what the fuck was that looking for a little girl about? Days? And he had spared Merle what, one visit to Atlanta?

Merle had always told The Governor that if Daryl was out there, he'd be able to find him. He thought Daryl would feel the same. Wouldn't stop looking for him if he thought he was in trouble. And he damn well knew he was! Knew he'd lost his hand and was hurt. Knew he'd lost blood, knew he was alone. And he didn't even look for him for more that one damn day?

He settled down on the bed, thought about what Glenn said, and waited for Daryl to come back to him.


End file.
